Grounding device.



enonen A. msn'roiv, or CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

enounnme nnvron, 1' y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BISHTON, a

"citizen of. the United States, residing at .Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grounding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grounding devices and has special reference to the means for plantmg or driving the grounding device into the earth so as to insure perfect electrical contact with the ground for any of the usual purposes."

By means of this invention, a thin flexible conducting strip may be driven into the ground without danger of injury to the same during the driving operation or during the removal of the driving element; The

use of a thin groundingelement insures perfect electrical contact at all times and also economizes in the manufacture of devices of this nature. The grounding strip herein: after described may, by means of the driving device, be planted at any desired distance below the surface of the ground to avoid the deleterious effects of freezing and dryness of the earth near, the surface, both of which conditions would greatly. impair the efii ciency of the grounding device.

dicated at- 1,

shaped body, and at its upper end With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, set forth in'and falling within the scope of the appended claim. 1

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a sectional view, showing the grounding device in its entirety, including the driving element and the point. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving point. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the grounding strip. Fig. 4 is a like view of the driving element.

I prefer to use a thin stri' cal conductivity shown in igs. l and 3, and such strip is preferably formed of copper, although any other suitable metal may be used as a substitute therefor. This strip, in-

may be of any desired length and width and is bent into semi-tubular or semi-cylindrical form, as shown, and has the lower extremity thereof attached to a driving point 2. The driving point 2 is a goneas illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 it is reduced to form a at its junction of high electricylindrical shank 3 which,

Specification of Letters Patent. -Patent'ed LIar, 31, 1914;, Aippl ieation fired February 10, 1912. Serial in. 676,772. r

I with the body of the point, forms an annular driving shoulder 4..

' The grounding strip 1 may be attached at its lower end to the driving point 2 in any suitable way such as by'soldering and the grounding wire indicated at 5 may be conbut preferably near the upper extremity. thereof, as shown 'inFig. .1. a

In connection with the-driving point 2, I employ a driving element 6 which is preferably tubular and of a size adapting one extremity thereof to fit over the shank 3 of the driving point and rest against the impact shoulder 4 thereof. It will now be understood that with the parts brought together nected to the strip 1jat any suitable point in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, by using a sledge or other suitable implement and striking blows upon the upper end of the tube 6, the device may be driven to any desired depth 1nt0 the ground, the wire 5.having previouslybeen attachedto the grounding I element 1.

In order to facilitate the extraction or removal of the driving element 6, a shoulder 7 is provided at or near the upper end thereof,

said shoulder being conveniently shown in the form of a fixed collar or flange extending around the tubular driving element and embodying a flat lower face perpendicular to the major axis of the driving element so that blows may from the under side thereof, thereby knocking the driving element'loose from the drivingp'oint 2 and enabling the same to be read- -ily withdrawn from the ground, The hole formed by the device may then be filled up.

The semi-tubular or semi-cylindrical con be imparted to the shoulder 7- struction 'of the grounding strip imparts several advantageous features to the ground- 1ng dev1ce; first, the grounding strip'of the form described and shown provides for a larger area of contact between the grounding v strip-and the earth. in contact therewith; furthermore it provides for drainage all around the grounding strip; prevents the formation of a water holding pocket such as would result with the groundit additionally ing element offull-tubular form instead of partially tubular form. While providing all of the advantages referred to, the semutubular-. form of the grounding strip imparts,

thereto the necessary strength and rigidity v tovallow for thedriving orplanting of the grounding strip without danger of distortion from its original shape. e

I claim:

The combination of a, driving oint hay-- 5 ing a cylindrica lbody a reduce shank zit the upper end of thebody, and an annular impact shoulder around the shank, and Ya. v

grounding strip partially embracing and astened to the body of the driving point 10 outside of the plane of the-impact shoulder In testimony whereof I aflix my signature I in presence of two witnesses.

GEQRGE A.- 'BISHTON.

Witnesses:

G. H. BUEHLER, I. F.- McMnms. 

